Sunday, December 04, 2011

Illuminate ~ Week 4 ~ Inspiration

This week for Illuminate we searched for letters and then took pictures to make a word. This word is one we had to choose to be a theme for us in the upcoming year. The writing is about the future and how things might look say a year from now.

I’ve learned that you shouldn’t worry too much about the future because your whole life can change in a moment. Plans you have made can take a totally different path than what you were expecting or wanting. I never thought that I would be where I’m at today. The facts are horrible to face. My daughter was diagnosed with a fatal disorder and she was born still over 3 months later. But when I read those words I don’t really see something terrible. I recall the precious time I spent with her, the memories we made, her day and night gymnastics in my belly, the joy I feel to this day of being her mom. I want to always remember these things.

It doesn’t matter if it is a day, a month, or a year from now as I want to always be able to cherish the moment. Sometimes I don’t always do that but I embrace it more than I ever did before my daughter died. I want to always feel so blessed for what I have been given. They say God gives and God takes away. I do believe that to a degree but I find it hard to apply that to the death of my daughter. God did give me a beautiful daughter but I don’t feel He took her away from me. Maybe it’s because she really isn’t gone forever. She is just away from us for a time until we are reunited again. I hate that we have to have a lifetime apart but I look forward to the day when we are together again.

Is there anything that I can change in this next year? Well, I can’t control many things in this life but the one thing I can control is myself and how I behave and react to situations and to people. In this aspect, I would like to do better.

When thinking of a word that I might try to have as a so-called motto for the next year I had a hard time deciding. I know people who have done the one word thing but I never did it until this assignment. I guess I just didn’t like the idea of one word summing up who I would want to be. I think there’s so much more to me than what one word could describe. So I tried to think of a word that could encompass many different areas of myself. I came up with just a few but one stood out above the others: SERVE.

serve

There are many ways that I can serve. I can serve my patients at work, my family, my friends, those in need, and most importantly I can serve God with my heart.

It isn’t always easy to have a servant’s heart though. My own selfish nature goes against serving others. But there is Someone I can model myself after who is the greatest servant who ever lived and that is Jesus. Jesus is the Son of God but He lived to serve others. He served people who many looked down upon without caring how He would be perceived. He loved others wholly and unconditionally with a pure heart. I want to serve like that.

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.   1 Peter 4:10

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.  Galatians 5:13

I think my daughter Carleigh instilled in me a will to serve. My own experience made me want to help others, especially other families who have lost a baby. I hope that in this next year to be able to serve in many more ways.

12 comments:

Caroline said...

Beautiful and so true.

Melissa said...

Such beautiful words Holly, thanks for sharing!

Jennifer Ross said...

That is such a beautiful post Holly.....

lost--for--words said...

I love your outlook.

I know I have been terrible with leaving blog comments lately, but I have been following your weekly Illuminate photos and they are all breathtaking! You are really developing a talent with photography! It is such a wonderful way to capture your feelings, isn't it? XOXOXO

Liz Lauterbach said...

Beautiful post Holly! I like your thoughts on letting the year go in the way God has planed. Great eye for finding the letters

Mary said...

merci pour ce poste. Ce mot vous va à la perfection.

Beryl said...

This is a beautiful post and I appreciate you sharing so openly. I LOVE the word you chose. It does have multiple meanings and I love how it can be a constant reminder to both serve ourselves and our needs AND serve others. What is the last "e" a picture of? It reminds me of a butterfly wing. I've loved each and every moment of getting to know you and your daughter Carleigh during this class. May this year bring you everything you need to serve. xo.

Kristie said...

I love how creative you were in your letter search, so beautiful!

Cecilia said...

I love and admire your outlook, Holly! You do so much already in this community and have such a servants heart. Love the pictures too!

Kelly @ Sufficient Grace Ministries said...

Serve is a perfect word...and you have one of the most beautiful servant's hearts of anyone I know. Love to you...

Sarita Boyette said...

Holly, you do serve SO much. Yes, I can see how Carleigh instilled within you a desire to serve. One of the ways you serve is with your blog, which has helped me and so many others. I love the things you photographed for the word "serve." I didn't get to comment on your other post, but I loved those pictures, too. You have done a great job with the "Illuminate" series. xoxo

Kari said...

I'm liking all these Illuminate weeks. Very awesome to read!

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